Be My Escape
by bittersweet-sorrow
Summary: After a particularly bad relationship, Katie tries to move on. As she struggles to find love, she realizes that what she's been searching for is right in front of her. OWKB WARNING: SWEARING!
1. Recurring Memories

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing one of these, just for the sake of having something to do. Please give me feedback on whether I should continue this or not or at least give some comment. Thanks.

Disclaimer: Obviously don't own this. J.K. Rowling does.

**Chapter 1: Recurring Memories**

Katie sighed as she looked at her watch yet again, the hands of the timepiece indicating that it was just past midnight. It was September 1st and she was to be going back to Hogwarts for her 6th year. Usually, she wouldn't have been so reluctant; I mean, she had her friends to look forward to. But she couldn't help feeling depressed at the fact that she was to be going back to the one place that brought back all those painful memories. Memories she couldn't forget— memories that kept replaying themselves over and over again in her head that each and every single one of them was embedded in her mind. "How could he _do _this to me?" she asked herself, not for the first time. A single tear formed at the corner of her eye as she reminisced over the few memorable moments she had with her now ex-boyfriend, Roger Davies.

When she first started dating him in her 5th year, Roger seemed to be perfect; polite and intelligent, charming and handsome. He was also the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He could've fooled _any_ girl who so much as met his eye. And Katie so happened to one of those unlucky girls. She could still remember when she first got together with him. He was considerate, and a real ladies' man—at first. Not even a month into their relationship, she accidentally walked in on him and another Hufflepuff _bitch_ making out in an empty hallway. "Or so they thought," Katie thought bitterly. She could very well remember how horrible it felt to be betrayed like that. Her friends were there for her when she was crying her eyes out and they comforted her and badmouthed Davies for her. It made her feel a _bit_ better, and after a week of crying her eyes out till they were so swollen she could barely see through them, she tried moving on with her life again. Everything seemed fine for a while after that; Quidditch practices were held more and more often, teachers piled increasing amounts of work onto her and the other people in her year, and she continued hanging out with her group of closest friends, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Fred and George Weasley, and Oliver Wood. As strange as it was, all of them were in the same Quidditch team, and somehow, throughout all the age differences, they managed to become a group of close-knit friends that Katie knew she couldn't live without.

But of course, all good things come to an end. One day, after a particularly grueling training session in the stormy weather, she trudged up the castle to her common room. On her way, she was stopped by Davies once again. "I was so_ stupid_," Katie thought to herself, as she once again recounted the exact words he told her that made her go back to him for a second time.

**Flashback: (Katie's POV)**

"Katie, I need to talk to you," he said, as he walked closer towards me.

"What the hell do you want, Davies?"

"I—uh I wanted to apologize for what I did to you. Katie, after you left me, I felt so bad 'cause I lost you."

"Well, I guess that's just too bad, huh? You fucked up, so it's your loss." As I prepared to walk away, he stopped me.

"But, Katie, please, I just want another chance with you. I promise I won't hurt you again," he said, looking at me with sincerity.

I sigh as I look up at him; hesitation evident in both the expression on my face and my tone of voice.

"Fine," I say, before turning around again.

He catches up to me again as I walk, turning me around and kissing me on the lips before walking away.

"You won't regret this, Katie," he reassures me.

I don't reply as I continue on my way—hoping that I didn't make the wrong decision.

**End Flashback**

She rubs her eyes, surprised to find that tears are continuously running down her face and onto her pillow. She angrily wipes them away, turning over on her side, trying to block out reality. A new expression set upon her face; one of determination and a little bit of vengefulness. Recalling the more painful memory of seeing him for a second time with another girl, this time in the library, she felt fury rising in her chest, causing her tears to cease falling.

**Flashback: (Katie's POV)**

"You bastard!" I hear myself scream at him, turning him around to face me before slapping him hard in the face, leaving behind a red handprint on his cheek, not caring that Angie and Alicia were less than a hundred feet away from me, watching the scene avidly.

"We're over! And if you even come near me again, I'll make sure you never _ever_ have children. Got that?"

He nods quickly, before leaving the library, pulling the Ravenclaw slut along with him.

Tears stream down my face as I sit down on the floor in the corner of a bookcase, crouched in a fetal position. "Fuck him," I whisper to myself harshly. Before wiping tears off my face and heading off to the Quidditch pitch to fly for a while and recollect my thoughts.

Mounting my broom and pushing off, I sighed at the feeling of the wind in my hair. I always loved flying ever since I learned to ride a broom when I was 8. It always helped to clear my mind. And it did. A while later, I was lying on the ground staring out at the setting sun, watching the colors in the sky blending from red to orange to pink, to purple, thinking about life in general, when a saw a shadow looming over me.

"Hey, Oliver," I greet him as comes over to lie next to me.

"Hey," he says, "You okay? I heard everything from Angie."

I laugh humorlessly before replying, "Trust Angie to blurt everything out, huh?"

"She's just doing this for your own good, you know. Besides, I heard you threatened to castrate him or something. Good for you!" he says, grinning.

Letting out a small smile, I turn back to face the sky.

"You know I'll always be here for you, right, Kates?" turning to look at me sincerely.

"Yeah, thanks, Ollie."

And it was then that I really started crying; letting out sob after sob as Oliver took me up in a gigantic hug and held me while I cried into his shoulder, all the time whispering words of comfort in my ear. After what seemed like ages, I finally stopped crying, quite surprised to see stars in the sky, telling me that I had been crying for an extremely long time.

"Thanks again, Ollie." I say softly to him before laughing out loud, "I'm all ugly now aren't I?"

With a grin, he tells me, "You're beautiful, Katie, don't worry about it."

**End Flashback**

Although she absolutely hated him for what he did to her, she couldn't help the feelings she still felt deep down inside. She wanted to hurt him. Badly. And at the same time, she wanted to run back to him again. But she knew better now. After another few days of endless crying, she finally learned to stay away from him no matter how fucking _sincere _he looked or how much she loved him. And so here she was, lying in bed, thinking things over in her head and it was then that she decided that she really needed to move on and get a life. Her friends were always going to be there for her, and she knew that if it happened again, Angelina would blow another fuse and start yelling at her for being so stupid for taking him back and for even liking him. And even though what she said hurt like crazy, Katie knew she was right. "I have such good friends," she mumbled to herself as she remembered Oliver comforting her, a smile appearing on her face before disappearing almost instantly.

Looking at her watch again, she saw it was almost 2 in the morning. "I wish this would just _end_," she said to herself, "I just want to get out of this mess I'm in and start getting on with my life." Like any other girl her age, all she wanted was to find the one person who she'd love and would love her back.

Little did she know that she had a _lot_ coming to her this year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Facades

A/N: Just so you know, this fic will be slightly AU since I'm making Katie one year younger than Oliver. So this is how it goes:

Oliver Wood: 7th year

Angelina Johnson: 6th year

Fred/George Weasley: 6th year

Katie Bell: 6th year

Alicia Spinnet: 5th year

Yes, I know Katie is two years younger than Oliver. And yes I know Angelina and Alicia and the twins are in the same year together. Bear with me. Okay? Okay. )

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Simple enough to understand, I presume?

**Chapter 2: Facades**

**(Katie's POV)**

"Wake up Katie! The train leaves at 11!" I hear a very annoyed voice yell up from downstairs. Groaning, I turn over on my stomach, hiding my head under the pillow, trying to get back to sleep. I had finally fallen asleep at around 3:30 in the morning, and I had barely gotten 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

"KATHRYN ADRIANNA BELL! IF YOU DON'T GET UP THIS INSTANT, I WONT TAKE YOU TO THE PLATFORM!"

"All right, all right; I'm up now."

Yawning and stretching, I stumble out of bed to get ready. After a quick cold shower to wake me up properly, I wrap a towel around myself and go find something decent to wear. Putting on a pair of jeans and a fitted tank top, I then brush my hair, before staring at myself at the mirror, seeing the reflection of a girl with long curly dark brown hair and almond-shaped hazel eyes staring back at me. There are dark shadows under my eyes, telling the whole world I haven't been sleeping very well for the past few weeks or so.

Taking one last look around my room for any other things I forgot to pack, I drag my trunk down the stairs, hearing the dull thud of the trunk meeting the stairs. I enter the kitchen to see my mum setting down breakfast on the table. After shoving my disgruntled owl, Chester, a chestnut owl with hazel eyes like mine, into his cage, I sit down, grab a piece of toast and begin buttering it. By the time I'm done with breakfast, it's time to head out to Platform 9 3/4.

Sitting with my mum at the front seat of the car, I stared at the muggles walking around going through their day-to-day activities. My mum's a half-blood and my dad's a pureblood, so I've always grown up knowing both worlds quite well. I mean, magic's great and all but you can't beat muggle music. So after experimenting with my muggle stereo for ages at school, I finally found a way to make it work amongst all the magic and at the same time, also got Angie and Licia addicted to muggle music as well. Hah! I'm good, aren't I?

Arriving at the platform, I look around at the crowd before me. Parents (mainly mothers) crying as their beloved daughters and sons are about to leave their childhood homes to start a new life at Hogwarts, students running after their toads and cats, and friends greeting each other after two months, and already catching up on each other's summers. Lost in my own thoughts, I let out a shriek when I feel someone behind me prodding me in the side. I'm extremely ticklish, and my first reaction is to whack the person as hard as I can, on the head. I laugh as I come face to face with none other than George Weasley. I shake my head in a joking manner.

"You are absolutely hopeless. You know that, don't you?" I say, watching George rub his head grumpily.

"Yup! Don't you just _love_ me for it, Katie, my dear?"

After another shove, I pick up one side of my trunk with one hand, and the cage of my owl with the other.

"So, have you found a compartment yet?" I ask, as George lifts the other side of my trunk, helping me lug it to the Hogwarts Express.

"Yeah, Fred and Oliver are already in it. I was just out here to look for you and the other girls," he replies. As we make our way amongst the thick stream of first-years, looking lost and scared, we finally arrived at a compartment. "Surprise, surprise," I thought, "Quidditch again." Then again, it's Oliver, so I actually should be relieved that he's still the same Quidditch-obsessed captain and friend of mine.

"Hey guys," I greet, "Had a good summer?" I sit down next to Oliver, leaving George to put away my trunk and owl.

"Thanks, Georgie, dear, you're such a wonderful person," I joke as he grins at me and gives a mocking bow before sitting next to Fred.

"My summer was great," Oliver replies enthusiastically, "I practiced loads of Quidditch and I even made up a few plays! This year is gonna be _great_!"

"Let me guess, we're going to be practicing 5 days a week or something aren't we?" I say, sarcasm leaking into my voice. I love my sarcasm. Apart from the fact that I can insult people I hate whenever I want, it provides a dry sense of humor to my friends. Well, I try.

"What? You've got to be kidding me, right Kates? With that little practice, there's no way we can win the cup this year!"

Looking carefully into Oliver's eyes, I realize he really isn't joking. Fred and George seem to have noticed as well since their eyes were wide with both disbelief and fear. "Oh shit," I thought, "There's no way I'll be able to get any school work done, then; time to beat some common sense into the boy." Not surprisingly, the twins beat me to it, smacking him repeatedly on the head. As they were too caught up in their little fight, I take the time to observe Oliver. You absent-mindedly note that he has grown another 2 to 3 inches or so, making him to be about 6'2; same messy brown hair, same brown eyes. Fred and George still looked the same; mop of red hair, freckled skin and a trademark mischievous twinkle in their eyes. Thinking back, I realize that the twins weren't exactly as identical as they assumed. It wasn't exactly something you could see by just looking at them, but after years of knowing them, it seemed so easy to recognize them for their own persons instead of one person sharing the same mind. Fred seems to have noticed me spacing out yet again, because he waves a hand in front of my glazed-over eyes as I continue my inner battle with myself. I shake my head slightly, pushing my former thoughts to the back of my brain, deciding to mull over them later by myself, and grin at him. They've finished beating Oliver for the time being, and for a while we're just sitting in companiable silence and I was left to my own slightly-depressing thoughts of the bastard a.k.a. Davies. Yes, I know I think a lot, but I never do it intentionally. And just as I started getting all depressed and cynical, the door of the compartment bursts open as Alicia and Angelina both enter the compartment, dragging their trunks behind them along with their owls. After storing their luggage, they start up the talk again about their summers. I can't help noticing the adoring gazes Fred and George and giving Angie and Alicia, respectively. And from what they told me over the summer, I had a strong feeling they'd get together by Christmas. Smiling to myself in a bittersweet way, I let my mind meander along memory lane. Unknowingly, a song pops into my head and I begin singing it softly in my head.

_Sometimes I sit at home and wonder how it'd be _

_If he had loved me _

_Truly loved me _

_I learned a while ago that kind of thing _

_Never happens for me_

Staring blankly out the window, watching the passing scenery, I feel a strange calm fill me.

_And so I go around _

_And just pretend _

_Love is not for me _

_I play the circus clown around my friends _

_Make them laugh and they won't see _

_That you never let them see you sweat _

_Don't want them to think the pain runs deep _

_Lord knows it's killing me_

Wonder if they ever notice. I'd prefer it if they didn't, of course. I hate pity, no matter how good their intentions are.

"Katie? Katie! You there?" hearing a voice calling my name, I look back over at the group.

They're all looking at me with those _looks_, like they're feeling sorry for me. I try to ignore the looks as I force a smile.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," I say, "Don't worry about me." They don't look very reassured, but I guess after knowing me long enough, they know when to quit prying when I'm in this mood. Have I mentioned that I get pissed quite easily? I've got a bad temper, but these friends are the only ones actually know I don't mean it when I'm rude to them.

_Sometimes I sit at home _

_By the phone hoping he might call me _

_But he don't call me _

_But then I realize _

_Dreams come true aren't for girls like me _

_Not like me _

_And so I go around with my head up _

_Like it ain't no thing _

_And when the boys are out with all my friends _

_I'm into other things _

'_Cause you never let them see you sweat _

_Don't want them to think the pain runs deep _

_Lord knows it's killing me _

_It's not an easy _

_Sometimes it's hard to _

_It's not the life that I would choose _

_But what else can I do? _

_If he don't love me _

_If he don't want me _

_I'm not about to sit around _

_Let myself go _

At least they know I want to be left alone… Gives me time to collect my thoughts, anyhow; maybe I just wasn't meant to find requited love. Even my friends have found it. It's not like I'm jealous or anything, but it's just… unfair. Enough of this thinking; term's starting up again, and I can't afford to space out like this if I want good grades.

**(End Katie's POV)**

And as Katie focused her attentions to whatever her friends were talking about, the train sped across the countryside. She was so immersed in her own thoughts for the last hour or so that she didn't notice that the whole time her friends were talking about her. Anyone with eyes and ears could see that they truly cared for their friend. So Katie thought they didn't know how she felt? Hell, she probably didn't know she was actually singing out loud.

**(An Hour Ago)**

"I really want to help her," Alicia said, staring at Katie, "I just don't know what to do." She was practically aching for her friend, and just by looking at her eyes and hearing the soft, melancholy melody of her voice, she knew that whatever pain she was feeling for her friend was nowhere near the pain Katie felt.

"We know how you feel," the twins voice their opinions in unison. It was obvious they would do anything within their ability to see her smile for real. Angelina seemed to be watching Katie intently, as if staring really, really hard would help make Katie feel better.

Meanwhile, Oliver looked like he was having a battle, heart vs. mind seeing him frown every so often. Although every so often, when he glanced over at Katie, his facial features would soften ever so slightly that it was hard to notice. All of a sudden, as if struck by a sudden revelation, Oliver said, "Maybe if we keep her busy enough she won't have time to think as much? It would be easy to keep her preoccupied with other things, can't we? Or maybe we could find her someone else so she'll forget that Ravenclaw _asshole_. "

"Hmmm, it's a thought, you know. We could even increase our Quidditch practices! And then when the time comes, we'll kick those Ravenclaw's asses!" Angelina said, almost triumphantly.

The twins stared at her as if she'd sudden grown an extra head.

"What!" The two voices cried simultaneously.

"You must be desperate if you're asking for more _Quidditch practices_," Fred said in disbelief.

"Not that Oliver, here, would mind, hmmm?" George said, point a finger in Oliver's direction, who was grinning at the thought of his beloved Quidditch schedule.

Just when Oliver was about to voice his opinion on extra Quidditch practice, a monotonous voice came on, announcing their arrival at the Hogsmeade station. After getting slipping on robes hurriedly, they filed out of the train, and go onto a carriage. Katie seemed to be doing everything mechanically. Going through the motions thoughtlessly, almost like a zombie as she climbed onto the carriage and sitting down. Sighing, the rest of the gang sat down, silently agreeing to talk about it later, as they watched Hogwarts emerge in all its wondrous glory.

**Review, please? I'm getting 3 reviews and over 50 hits; which is… 6 percent of the readers. C'mon you can do better than that! )**

**Thanks to the people who DID review, though. I really appreciate it, and it really gives me more incentive to continue writing, anyhow…**

Song: Smile by Tamia  



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